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Sony Rep Denies Need For PC, PS3 Better

Phil Harrison continues down the road of marketing hyperbole, now having gone on record stating 'we do not need the PC'. He has also denied claims of copying Nintendo with the PS3's Dualshake controller. From the Gamasutra article: "In a certain way, I understand why people would say such things, but it is stupid, if you'll forgive me saying so ... We have already worked on it a long time, and Nintendo almost certainly has done likewise with something similar. It is perfectly naturally for two companies to work on identical devices. It's like that with technology." Must be nice to live in fantasy land.

14 of 148 comments (clear)

  1. Poor Deluded Phil by eldavojohn · · Score: 5, Funny

    Phil Harrison went on to say that ordinary gods and goddesses would cower at the site of the first PS3 and that the plain jane religions that exist the world today will be unneeded once we have the PS3 to worship.

    Sony has been playing around with the idea of allowing consumers one PS3 in exchange for that consumer's first born son (or the trimmed down version for first born daughter). Analysts stated that this strategy would be met with disgust in most parts of the world but may play well in third world countries and those suffering from over population.

    When asked why he would no longer need a PC, Harrison merely gestured to the screen displaying the new console and said, "Look at it! Just .. just ... look at it! No, wait stop, you are not worthy to cast your eyes upon it. Avert them! Everyone, stop looking at it, you're ruining its glory just by concieving it in your feeble puny mind!"

    Sony has set up large preemptive trauma centers for players who will seek medical attention after attempting to "play" the PS3. Harrison explained that only players with "mad skillz" will be able to touch the PS3 and not walk away with their entire reality altered. Harrison also alluded to the idea that much of life after the PS3's release will be dedicated to playing the PS3 and trying to conceive of what life before the PS3 might have been like. Phil was skeptical any of their consumers would own any other consoles aside from the PS3 and stated that doctors were investigating ways to wean heroin addicts from the drug by giving them a PS3 as a substitute.

    Some of the developers of the PS3 were admitted to mental institutions for possible instability. Many were sobbing and laughing at the same time screaming anything from "It is done!" to "It is ... the alpha & the omega!"

    Reporters noted that Phil looked quite thin and ill but when asked about his health, he became extremely defensive saying, "Why do you ask about the physical things? If you had god in your living room, would you pause your conversation with him to eat?!" he cried, "Why do you vex me with puzzles non-PS3 based?" He had shaved his head for reasons unknown. He then jumped off the stage and ran to his celebrity van outside--presumably to play an in-development version of the PS3.

    So, is Sony going to do all their development on PS3s from now on if they don't need PCs?

    --
    My work here is dung.
  2. Re:Yes but... by joe+155 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    it's not a pc until it runs linux.

    --
    *''I can't believe it's not a hyperlink.''
  3. The full interview here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,15 18,419072,00.html

    And here's one for the ages:

    When we launched Playstation in 1994 we introduced the concept of real-time computer-generated 3-D-graphics for the first time. When Nintendo released the N64 in 1996 and they had real-time CG 3-D-graphics, did you hear us say, "Nintendo, you've stolen our idea?" Of course not. These innovations are things that become possible because of a combination of technology, price and manufacturing capability.

    What you say !! Does Starfox ring a bell? What about Battlezone? Not only are they denying that they obviously based they idea off of Nintendo's, but they're taking credit for 3D graphics... Do these people even listen to themselves?

    1. Re:The full interview here by iamghetto · · Score: 2, Insightful

      And here's one for the ages:

      When we launched Playstation in 1994 we introduced the concept of real-time computer-generated 3-D-graphics for the first time. When Nintendo released the N64 in 1996 and they had real-time CG 3-D-graphics, did you hear us say, "Nintendo, you've stolen our idea?" Of course not. These innovations are things that become possible because of a combination of technology, price and manufacturing capability.

      What you say !! Does Starfox ring a bell? What about Battlezone? Not only are they denying that they obviously based they idea off of Nintendo's, but they're taking credit for 3D graphics... Do these people even listen to themselves?

      I'm not sure why so many people lack lucidity when it comes to all the rhetoric relating to the upcoming consoles.

      Sony never said they invented 3D graphics. But what the did do, was create the first system that was based completely around 3D graphics. Sony beat the Saturn because Sega did anticipate that. The Saturn was originally going to launch with only one Hitachi SH-2 processor with the intention of making it sprite busting 2D powerhouse. When they releazing that Sony was going 3D (something they didn't anticipate) they simply slammed a second Hitachi SH-2 processor on board to increase the Saturn's raw computational power. However, these two chips were not created to work in a dual architecture and the chips sorrily lacked in floating point calculations. It caused developers headaches having to negotiate cycles between the two CPUs and two video processors (the 2nd VDP slapped on last minute ala the 2nd CPU). Half way through the Saturns life cycle new tools were released that made it easier for developers to use the hardware for 3D graphics (see Virtua Figher 2), but it was too late.

      Because Sony developed the first 3D console from scratch, developers didn't have this problem. And yes, 2 years later Nintendo came out with a 3D console of their own. And Sony didn't say that Nintendo copied them, because well, it would've been foolish for Nintendo to release anything but a 3D system. 3D graphics were already established in homes and arcades as the new king. 3D graphics were around for a very long time (Star Wars Arcade), Sony was just the first company to _BASE A CONSOLE_ around them.

      Jump to present day. Motion sensing technology has been used in failed PC controllers, the failed Nintendo Power Glove, and who knows what else. Nintendo however is the first company to apply the motion sensing technology to a _CONSOLE ITSELF_. They included as part of the console basic method of control. They also showed us potentially new ways motion sensing technology in games, much in the same way that Playstation showed us new types of games that would be possible in 3D.

      Sony didn't invent 3D graphics (they never said they did) and Nintendo didn't invent motion-sensing controllers (they never said they did). But Sony hastily implements motion-sensing controls in its console after Nintendo announces this ability. After the 3D-based Playstation launches, Nintendo releases its own 3D-based system.

      I think that's the gist of Phil Harrison's comments. No one says Nintendo stole 3D graphics from Sony because that would be ridiculous. Sony didn't invent 3D graphics (they just based a console on them first). Likewise, from Harrison's perspective, it's ridiculous to say that Sony stole from Nintendo because Nintendo didn't invent motion sensing technologies (they were just the first ones to base a console on it.)

      People just need to calm down about all of this stuff. Fanboyism is so rampant on the net right now that's virtually impossible to find any insightful comments about any console related news.

  4. Finally! by Vo0k · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yeah, finally gonna get rid of that damned noisy PC. As soon as I put my hands on a copy of AutoCAD for PS3.

    --
    Anagram("United States of America") == "Dine out, taste a Mac, fries"
  5. VAIO? by Flaming+Babies · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'm wondering if Harrison talked to the guys down in Sony's Computer Department before claiming we didn't need PC's anymore.

    --
    The right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously.
  6. Oh, good! by Jerf · · Score: 2, Funny

    Oh, good! My PS2-PC has been getting pretty slow browsing the web lately; the Flash really kills it, and of course there's no option to turn it off in the crappy browser it gives me.

    Still, it's a distinct step up from my Family Computer.

    And the less said about my Entertainment Computer System, the better.

    (Translation: The "our console will also be a computer!" lie is older than quite a few of the people who will read this post, and older than many of the customers Sony is targetting. Believe it when you have the computer hardware and general-purpose, useful software in your hands and running in your living room and doing something useful, and not one second earlier.)

  7. This may sound silly-- by Jace+of+Fuse! · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This may sound silly but yesterday sometime around lunch-time I was thinking to myself...

    "You know, Sony really has fucked themselves pretty good. First they pulled this whole embarassing PSP trick, now they're trying to sell the average person a $600 game machine."

    Then suddenly I thought of something. With a hard drive, Linux, broadband, keyboard, mouse and HDTV and or a VGA display, the PS3 is a pretty nice little computer.

    Maybe Sony will be attempting to not exclusively compete for space under the television but ALSO on the desk?

    Once upon a time there were people who had their Commodore 64's hooked up to televisions because they couldn't afford monitors or because they really didn't see the need since they only used them to play games anyway.

    If the PS3 finds itself being purchased by people who want a "powerful computer" but don't need the full range of computing accessories (printers, desks, computer chairs, etc) the days of the living room computer may be making a come back.

    I can easily see poeple with a PS3 in their living room, browsing the web, downloading music, playing games, and even possibly chatting/blogging/emailing on a PS3.

    On the other hand, the PS3 might just do piss poorly and make Sony rethink their strategy for the PS4.

    --

    "Everything you know is wrong. (And stupid.)"

    Moderation Totals: Wrong=2, Stupid=3, Total=5.
  8. 256M RAM Supercomputer??? by fujiman · · Score: 4, Informative

    Well, the PS3 has a whopping 256 Megs of RAM (since they *dedicated* the other 256 Megs to Video, not to be shared). Linux will run fine under 256, but it won't replace my PC.

    1. Re:256M RAM Supercomputer??? by despisethesun · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I get by just fine with 256MB of RAM on my PC. More is always nice but it's not like I have anything that refuses to run, except for Eclipse (which doesn't so much "refuse to run" as grind my computer to a screeching halt).

      --
      This poo is cold.
  9. Misinterpretation - he was talking about online by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    He didn't say that we don't need PCs and that PS3 will replace your PS3! He was saying that Sony did not need the PC to be in their online strategy ala Microsoft's 'Live Anywhere'. Look at the full question and answer:

    "SPIEGEL ONLINE: Speaking of online, Microsoft has just announced "Live Anywhere", an integrated Windows-Xbox-Mobile environment. Is that something you're worried about because you don't have the same access to the PC market as Microsoft does?

    Harrison: No, it doesn't concern me and I don't think it concerns the consumer either. Once you adopt a game system as your primary entertainment device, that's what you want. We think that Playstation 3 is the place where our users will be doing their gaming, their movie watching, their Web browsing and a lot of other computer entertainment functions. That will satisfy them. Playstation 3 is a computer. We don't need the PC."

    Taken from: http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,15 18,419072,00.html

    Note the last part of the interviewer's question, and the last part of Harrison's answer, and it starts to make sense. Quite typical that a Sony exec's comments have been taken out of context and misreported, in my opinion - it's happening a lot lately.

  10. What the hell?? by gstoddart · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Given Sony's propensity to lock everything down, and the fact that the PS3 doesn't actually exist yet, how the heck could I realistically replace a PC with a PS3?

    They got a web-browser or any other software I might want? It's a Sony product, so I doubt I could rip CDs with it. Can I get iTunes for it? What about my tax software, has that been ported? Inkscape? Google Earth?

    That man needs to be significantly whacked with a clue-stick. Because the PS3 doesn't do what a PC does. Not by a long shot. Or did he mean just for gaming?

    Why on Earth would anyone claim that a locked down, non-upgradeable, lacking-an-operating-system or software system is superior to a PC?

    Flippin' wierd if you ask me!

    --
    Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    1. Re:What the hell?? by tepples · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The main OS has a web browser actually.

      In which one can probably run AjaxTax, taking care of gstoddart's tax software complaint.

      Well it does come with Linux on the HDD ;)

      But can it run executable programs that have not been signed by Sony?

  11. Wow by I+Like+Pudding · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm glad to see that the former Iraqi information minister has found work.